No one knew exactly what to expect in Friday’s District 4-3A girls opener between Portales High and Lovington. Certainly, no one really expected what happened. Leading just 12-10 late in the opening stanza, the Lady Rams went on a 44-9 blitz that carried into the early moments of the fourth quarter in a 70-26 rout […]

By Dave Wagner When the Portales Lady Rams begin District 4-3A play tonight in a 7 p.m. game against Lovington at the PHS gym, they’ll be without longtime head coach Brenda Gomez. Gomez left Thursday morning for her native Farmington to be with a sister who is seriously ill. In her absence, volunteer assistant Sharon […]

PNT Staff LOVINGTON — The Elida basketball jumped over the .500 mark on Monday with a sweep of the Lovington junior varsity squads. Elida won the boys game 50-35 while the Lady Tigers came away with a 44-28 victory. Dylan Radcliff scored 22 points for Elida’s boys, including a pair of first-quarter 3-pointers. His other […]

By Dave Wagner The Portales High boys basketball team has one — count ’em, one — player taller than six feet. That doesn’t stop seventh-year coach Mark Gallegos from thinking his team can get back to the Class 3A state tournament, something which hasn’t happened for the Rams since they won it all in 2001. […]

PNT Staff ELIDA — The Elida Lady Tigers got off to a fast start Friday night and cruised past the Lovington junior varsity 57-32 in their season opener. Elida roared to an 18-2 lead at the quarter and never looked back. The Lady Tigers opened a 24-point lead by outscoring the Lady Wildcats 14-4 in […]

By Dave Wagner LOVINGTON — The Portales High Rams knew their hopes of a playoff berth heading into Friday’s District 4-3A and regular-season finale against Lovington were slim and none — and as the saying goes, slim left town early. PHS hung in gamely with the Wildcats for most of three quarters before the dam […]

By Dave Wagner Since a 3-0 start, it’s been pretty much nothing but tough times for the Portales High Rams. Things don’t look to get much easier this week when they travel to Lovington for Friday’s 7 p.m. District 4-3A and regular-season finale. The Rams (3-6, 0-2 district) are out of the postseason running and […]

By Dave Wagner Maybe the Portales High Lady Rams are simply starting a late-season surge. PHS, which has won three of the last four Class 3A state volleyball championships but has been mired well below .500 all season, clinched a trip to this year’s state tournament Tuesday night with a 14-25, 25-18, 25-21, 25-20 win […]

Allen Cunningham, 52 Allen Ray Cunningham, 52, of Tatum, died Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2004, at Nor Lea General Hospital in Lovington. He was born on July 16, 1952, in Farmington, to James and Rose Cunningham. He married Carla Reeves on April 9, 1976, in Portales. He was a member of Living Water Church in Tatum. […]

By Dave Wagner The Portales Lady Rams badly needed a confidence boost, and they finally got one Tuesday night. Down and almost out several times, the Lady Rams rallied for the final six points in Game 4, then finished out the match on a 9-1 run to upend rival Lovington 23-25, 25-23, 18-25, 25-22, 15-12 […]

By Eric Butler The Portales Lady Rams got a strong dose during this weekend’s Clovis volleyball invitational of what may be its toughest competition in Class 3A as the Rams try to defend their state title. Rio Rancho, the reigning champ in 5A, won the overall title with a 21-25, 25-15, 25-15, 25-22 victory over […]

Freedom Newspapers ALBUQUERQUE — It’s only 2 1/2 points, but Portales coach Glenn Johnson will takes them after the Rams were shut out the last three seasons at the Class 3A state track meet. Junior Bo Gabriel finished in a four-way tie for third in the high jump, going out at 6-foot Thursday in the […]

By Kevin Wilson Portales freshman Morgan Erf has compiled an impressive record as a singles player this season. Still, a 20-1 record as a solo player on the court wasn’t enough to keep her from doubles partner Jessica Bulls. “I like playing either (way) a lot,” Erf said after Thursday’s Portales High tennis practice. “A […]

By Kevin Wilson The bad news for the Portales High baseball team is that it is facing the potential scenario of playing two games in three days, with a trip that could span more than 850 miles roundtrip. That’s also the good news, in the mind of Ram coach Greg Hill. “You look at everything, […]

Freedom Newspapers ROSWELL — New Mexico Military Institute got the split it needed, and the District 4-3A runnerup will have a tough road ahead. Lovington and NMMI split a Tuesday doubleheader, with the first game a 4-3 win for Lovington and the second a 15-5 rout for NMMI. The split leaves Portales and NMMI at […]

Freedom Newspapers LOVINGTON — The Lovington Wildcats clinched their second-straight District 4-3A title Saturday, sweeping the visiting Portales Rams 3-1 and 9-3 at Wildcat Field. Lovington outhit Portales 16-12 in the doubleheader, but benefitted from a six-error difference (the Rams committed 10 errors in the twin bill, Lovington four). The Wildcats still have a doubleheader […]

By Kevin Wilson For the Portales High track teams, it’s a matter of athletes being an inch away from Albuquerque, a second removed from the state track meet in May. The teams are preparing for Friday’s meet in Lovington, the final meet before the District 4-3A championship (also in Lovington, May 7). Portales track members […]

Kevin Wilson For the Portales High baseball team, the week that determines their playoff status depends on simple matters. “Catch the ball, throw the ball, hit the ball,” as Ram coach Greg Hill explained after Monday’s practice. The New Mexico Military Institute Colts would like to take the same approach when they host the Rams […]

Freedom Newspapers RUIDOSO — With a little more than week to go in the district baseball season, just two games separate the top three teams in District 4-3A. Portales (14-6, 6-2 district) stayed alive in its quest for a playoff spot with a 10-3, 18-11 sweep Saturday at Ruidoso. The Rams stayed in second place, […]

Michael Strader, 47 Michael Strader, 47, of Clovis died Saturday, April 10, 2004, at his home. He was born on Nov. 3, 1956, in Clovis to Neal and Ellen McCollum Strader. After graduating from Clovis High School he moved to Arlington, Texas, where he went to the University of Texas at Arlington. During school he […]